Student projects

This is where the magic happens. Open the door to creativity and let your students show you what they've got. Remember that not every creative project has to be a long, drawn out project. It's ok to give your students 10 minutes to tell you what they learned through a video, voice recording, sketch, or written reflection. You'll be amazed what they come up with, and while this can be a painful process of "I don't know what to do" at the beginning, once they get into the groove you'll have them creating amazing work in minutes! If they're really stuck you could show them one of the #ArtWithoutExcuses videos or remind them that you're not looking for perfection. 

Create student work: 

    • Give them options
    • Set a timeline
    • Let them run wild 
    • Be ok with stepping back
    • “Yes and”

When it comes to time for students to create, make a mental mind shift. Check out the 101 Ways to Show What You Know, choose options you're comfortable with, and let your students figure it out from there. Of course you may need to guide them through the planning stages, but don't be afraid to let them run wild. Once they get in to the project they;'ll be engaged and will likely take their learning way further than they would with traditional worksheets and activities. Be ok with not knowing exactly how students will crete their projects. If they want to do a podcast and you have no idea how to, send them to find resources to help them figure it out. You don't have to be an expert in every app or process to let your students shine in creative ways. Let go, step back, and watch them shine, and if they fail, help them see what they could do differently next time. Adopt a "yes, and" mentality. This means that when a student comes to you with a question or request, build their idea up by saying "yes, and" rather than "no, but". 


Gather student work: 

    • Turn in paper/hard copy
    • Digital Versions via AirDrop, LMS or Google Classroom
    • Snap a Photo of Physical Work to make Digital 
    • Digital Portfolio

Find a way of gathering student work that you're conformable with. If you're comfortable dealing with paper and digital copies, you can let students turn in both kinds of work. For me, personally, that was a lot to manage. When my students create paper or 3D projects, I simply have them take a picture and turn it in digitally. That way, every students project, from clay, to paint, to a video or digital poster, can be collected and assessed together. 

Remember that collecting work can be as simple as having students AirDrop their files to you, and organizing them on your device. You can also have them turn work in through a learning management system, such as Google Classroom, iTunes U, or a digital dropbox like Drive, Showbie, or Dropbox. Finally, you could have them curate their work in a digital portfolio. Check out a digital portfolio template here.